2008-09 BOYS BASKETBALL: Jersey Panthers

JERSEYVILLE -- The range of reactions felt by the Jersey Panthers of 2007-08 ran anywhere from boisterous to puzzled.

After a befuddling first half, Jersey was able to put together a stretch run that resembled the squad coach Stote Reeder envisioned since the day he stepped in as Panthers coach.

However, the impetus that drove the Panthers to their first regional championship in seven years is now gone. A new season begins. Shoes have to be filled. Roles will be different. It will be up to new players to fill those roles.

Regardless, expectations are high in Jersey County.

"They have to be bigger. We've got a couple holes to fill, but you have those holes every year," said Reeder, who begins his fourth season as Panthers coach with a 45-50 overall record. "As a team, we've gotten a taste of what a regional championship is like. The boys are hungry. They've worked hard this summer and it's something they want to experience again and maybe try and push through that sectional this time. You always want to go a bit farther than you did the previous year."

Jersey (18-15 a season ago), went 12-5 down the stretch, made an improbable run winning three straight games in the Triad Class 3A Regional -- including wins over top-seeded and No. 2 seed Highland -- to claim a regional championship before falling to Mount Vernon in the Centralia Sectional semifinals.

"These kids, they were extremely happy about a regional championship, but I think they were disappointed overall," Reeder said. "Being 18-15 is barely over .500. I think in the overall picture, they think that was just OK, and I like that about them because that's how I feel. It was a special run we made, but we want to try and make that consistent from November to March."

Jersey enters the 2008-09 season with high hopes but holes to fill. Reeder hopes to see someone like seniors Mark Rowling (5-foot-9), Justin Meredith (6-0) and Scott Steckel (6-0) step in and fill that key role.

"This senior class has shown a togetherness and a love for the game like I haven't seen in all my years of coaching," Reeder said. "This class is just so tight-knit. It's nice to see."

Mainstays return from last season's team in seniors Cody Bradfisch (6-1) and Pat Madson (6-4). Bradfisch led Jersey in scoring at 13.5 points-per-game and was an All-Mississippi Valley Conference selection. He returns stronger after work in the weight room.

"I really expect a lot of improvement out of him," Reeder said. "What I really challenged him to do is make his teammates better. A great player has to make his teammates better."

Complimenting Bradfisch is 6-0 junior guard Sam Ficker.

"He's just a real confident and skilled player who I think is gonna hopefully step into that second gun with Cody and try and relieve some of the pressure off him," Reeder said of Ficker. "He's got a pretty high ceiling."

Besides replacing some key players, the season's beginning will also bring change for Jersey. Instead of opening in the Alton Tip-Off Classic where they have been playing for roughly the past 10 years, the Panthers have turned to the newly formed Jacksonville

"With the four-class system, no matter how much I disagree with it, it just makes more sense to be in a tournament with mostly 3A schools," Reeder said. "I didn't want to lose the Alton game, so we've scheduled them for the regular season. They have two 3A schools in the Alton Tournament, so what I'm saying probably doesn't make a lot of sense, but we could play our best basketball and be 0-4. That's just a tough way to start the season.

"That's just a tough tournament to open up with down there. They do a good job with it, I saw this as a better opportunity for us."

The Panthers will open the six-team tournament on Monday at 6 p.m. against Mahomet-Seymour. They face Jacksonville on Wednesday, Collinsville on Friday and Centralia and Pleasant Plains to round out tourney action Saturday.

"We play something like our first eight games away from home," Reeder said. "If we can get out of the gates and start strong before we get some home games, we'll be pretty happy with that."